Kombucha Moscow Mules

Drumroll, please. I got Cookie’s DNA test results back yesterday! This funny mutt of mine is half schipperke (called it!) and half mixed medley. The mixed side includes dachshund and Australian koolie, which explains the rest. Cookie is a smart, ornery schipperke with a koolie’s spots and herding habits, topped off with floppy dachshund ears.

My imagination is running wild. How did this creature come to be? I see her mother as an elegant, purebred black schipperke living in a posh Tulsa suburb. Her dad? The handsome, spotted, charming gentleman next door. The Don Draper of dachshunds, if you will.

Six years ago, on a warm spring evening, they snuck off to share a plate of spaghetti and watch the sun set. One thing led to another and now I’m sharing the couch with their clown daughter. It was all meant to be.

I made these kombucha cocktails last night under Cookie’s supervision. She loves cauliflower, but shows no interest in kombucha. I can see why. Kombucha is a fermented tea flavored with fruit juice. It has some spunk to it, which I love, but it’s not for everyone. The fermentation process makes it slightly carbonated and adds a trace amount of alcohol. It’s relatively low in calories, about 80 per 16-ounce bottle.

GT’s Kombucha is the brand I’m most familiar with. Their gingerberry flavor is my favorite, followed by ginger and strawberry. I buy it at health food stores for three to four dollars per bottle (one bottle is enough for about three cocktails), but you can make your own kombucha if you’re feeling adventurous.

I’d been curious about kombucha cocktails for a while, but it wasn’t until Jeanine posted her ginger kombucha cocktails that I decided to try it already. The other night, I poured some vodka and ginger kombucha over ice and topped it off with a big squeeze of lime. It tasted like a Moscow mule, just less sugary. Sold! Then I tried it with gingerberry, which I liked even better. My male taste tester preferred the regular ginger flavor.

I’m sure that Moscow mule traditionalists are grumbling at the substitution, but hey, sometimes mixes are better than the originals. You can serve your kombucha Moscow mules in fancy copper mugs if you want to make these seem more proper. Either way, they’re super simple drinks for warm summer nights.

Ingredients

1 part vodka

3 parts kombucha (ginger or gingerberry)

½ lime, juiced

Instructions

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in 1 part vodka (say, 1.5 ounces) and top it off with 3 parts kombucha (so 4.5 ounces). Add a generous squeeze of lime and a lime wheel for garnish (totally optional).

You would somehow make the healthiest but tastiest cocktail I’ve ever heard of :)

Kombucha would be pretty nice in a mule. I like my mules very ginger-y and very lime-y and kombucha adds enough sour funkiness that it would play well with the vodka. Agree that its definitely a bit of an acquired taste but once you start liking fermented foods – kefir, kombucha, kimchi – you like them all and they are so good for your digestive system and immune system. Almost enough to make up for any damage the vodka does haha ;)

The Don Draper of dachshunds –> lol you are hilarious! As for the kombucha, sign me right up. I love GTs and anything ginger is just fine by me! 2 other brands I love are Rise and Tonica, both Canadian. You’ve just reminded me that I haven’t had one in far too long!

Hi Kate! I’m the rando on Instagram who suggested the Wisdom Panel! I’m so glad you finally got the results – what an interesting mix Cookie is! It’s funny, though, once you get the results, it’s like looking at your dog through brand new eyes, as you try to match certain behaviors/traits to their ancestry! Anyway, have a great weekend (I’ll actually be in KC to visit my parents this weekend, so if we bump into each other, I’ll be sure to say hi)!

Bri, thank you for suggesting Wisdom Panel! It’s so fun to finally know what kinds of dogs made Cookie who she is. I can totally see each of them. I was out of town this weekend visiting my parents, but I hope you had a great time in KC!

This cocktail looks interesting! But you should definitely make your own kombucha. It is a cinch to make and my husband has been doing it for years. The link makes it sound complicated but really all you do is make some sweetened tea, cool, add your starter (I guess they call it a scoby; my husband always called it a “mushroom”) and let it sit and ferment for about a week. Then stick it in the fridge and use as desired. $3-$4 a bottle is highway robbery.

I have started drinking it lately just to see. My husband swears by it. I am not sure you get the health benefits if you mix it with vodka, though! LOL

Annie, you’re right, I should totally make my own! It’s about time. I used to work at a raw/vegan restaurant and they had big jugs of it with scobies floating around inside. Not sure about the health benefits with vodka, either, but the cocktails are tasty!

I’ve been drinking these for awhile now and was wondering if anyone else had tried. GT’s is the best brand to use for the cocktail. I prefer the strawberry and citrus varieties with my vodka. I would not recommend homemade kombucha with this cocktail. I’ve made my own off and on for years and have tried many other homemade kombuchas. None of them are close to the taste and flavor of GT’s. Call it highway robbery if you want, but it’s worth it to me.

I really want to try DNA testing for my dog! She’s mostly black lab (got her from the humane society) but there’s definitely a lot more than that. She’s got black spots on her tongue (chow chow), a super skinny and long face (greyhoundish) but SUPER powerful legs and a lot of energy (almost like a terrier or an Australian shepherd). It would be so interesting to find out what she’s really made of!http://youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26

Your love for your pup is amazing! You are amazing!!!! My hubby and I live off 90% of your recipes! We are going on a huge camping trip in a few days… I can already tell this will be a huge hit!!! Thank you for sharing!!!! :)

So interesting to hear about Cookie’s DNA test, I loved seeing your post on Insta too! Doggie genetics are pretty fascinating :) She’s a gorgeous little clown dog and I adore your retelling of her ‘history’. Spaghetti dates ftw! As for this kombucha cocktail… just yum. I’ve never tried it (kombucha) before but I’m definitely sold on the value of fermented foods. Adding the benefits to a cheeky cocktail? Even better xx

So glad that you got Cookie’s results back. I can definitely see her as the mix of an elegant lady and a dapper bad boy. They made a cute puppy together for sure :)
I’ve never tried kombucha or a Moscow Mule! I will have to rectify this as soon as I figure out where to buy kombucha in Australia. Perhaps my local health food store can help me out. I just won’t let them in on the slightly less healthy but rather more fun reason for purchasing it…

Glad you got some useful results from your Cookie’s DNA test. Love the story too. My Cookie’s test came back as half jack Russell (which I knew) a possible dot of standard poodle (which is crazy) and the other half unidentified (still convinced it’s monkey).
Love the idea of a kombucha cocktail. ….can’t wait till summer comes around here!

Can not wait to make these! A New Year’s Eve treat for sure! Your Cookie is adorable. We had a schipperke for fourteen years. She was the most amazing creature and what a personality! I can only imagine that combined with the dachshund and Australian koolie! That’s one very special, one-of-a-kind dog you have! Thanks for the recipe!